Category Archives: 1947

Aug. 6, 1947: Asian Americans Sue Over Deed Restrictions Forcing Them Out of White Neighborhoods

Posted on August 6, 2025 by lmharnisch

August 6, 1947: Two Asian Americans sue over a restraining order to prevent them from occupying their present homes because of deed restrictions. Continue reading →

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Black Dahlia: Ask Me Anything, August 2025

Posted on August 5, 2025 by lmharnisch

This month’s Ask Me Anything on the Black Dahlia case, including a progress report on Heaven Is HERE! and look at William Mann’s forthcoming “Black Dahlia: Murder, Monsters and Madness in Midcentury Hollywood.” Continue reading →

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Aug. 5, 1947: Hitchhiking Couple Confess to ‘Kiss of Death’ Murder

Posted on August 5, 2025 by lmharnisch

August 5, 1947: Joseph Hardy and Lois Hunt were hitchhiking and killed a California man who picked them up. They pulled off in a forest in Nevada and Hardy excused himself while Lois began kissing James W. McLain. Hardy came back and shot McLain three times in the head. After burying McLain, they took his car, gambled away his money and flipped his car. Continue reading →

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Aug. 4, 1947: Patsy, Teenage Polio Patient, Dreams of Going to a Rodeo

Posted on August 4, 2025 by lmharnisch

August 4, 1947: Patsy Pfeifer, 14, has two ambitions: One is to see a rodeo. The other is to walk, having contracted polio around Christmas 1942. Continue reading →

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Aug. 3, 1947: ‘Kingsblood Royal’ by Sinclar Lewis Leads Bestseller List

Posted on August 3, 2025 by lmharnisch

August 3, 1947: Sinclair Lewis’ ‘Kingsblood Royal’ is the bestselling novel in Los Angeles, followed by ‘The Prince of Foxes,’ by Samuel Shellabarger, and ‘Gentleman’s Agreement,’ by Laura Hobson. John Gunther’s ‘Inside U.S.A.’ is the bestselling nonfiction book. Continue reading →

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Aug. 2, 1947: Los Angeles County Clerk Refuses Marriage License for Interracial Couple

Posted on August 2, 2025 by lmharnisch

  Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project. Her name was Andrea and she was 24. His name was Sylvester and he was 26, a World War II veteran working at Lockheed. And … Continue reading →

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July 30, 1947: Peaches Strange at the Follies Burlesque

Posted on July 30, 2025 by lmharnisch

July 30, 1947: Peaches Strange, an ‘artistic’ stripper at the Follies Burlesque, is a modest woman who used to teach Sunday School. Continue reading →

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Reminder – My Next ‘Ask Me Anything’ on the Black Dahlia Case Is August 5

Posted on July 29, 2025 by lmharnisch

Reminder: I will be doing a live Ask Me Anything on the Black Dahlia case on YouTube next Tuesday, August 5, at 10 a.m. Pacific time. Have questions? Leave them in the comments. Continue reading →

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July 28, 1947: Free Horoscope for Your DOG!

Posted on July 28, 2025 by lmharnisch

July 28, 1947: The Los Angeles Times doesn’t publish a daily horoscope — but you can get a free one for your dog! And The Times publishes a daily Bible verse on its editorial page (discontinued October 23, 1970). An encore post from the 1947project in 2005. Continue reading →

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July 24, 1947: Honor Student Vesta Belle Sapenter, 17, Strangled

Posted on July 24, 2025 by lmharnisch

July 24, 1947: Jefferson High honor student Vesta Belle is found strangled in her bedroom. Continue reading →

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July 22, 1947: TV, Jet Engine, Tucker Car on Display at World Inventors Expo

Posted on July 22, 2025 by lmharnisch

The Tucker is on display at the Pan-Pacific Auditorium as part of an inventors’ exposition. Continue reading →

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L.A. Celebrates the Fourth of July 1889 – 1960

Posted on July 4, 2025 by lmharnisch

The Fourth of July in Los Angeles:
1863: Pic-Nics and fireworks!
1889: Coursing (dogs chasing a live rabbit)!
1907: Cricket matches and a bagpipe contest!
1910: Speeches in Spanish and Italian, race riots over the ‘fight of the century’ between Jack Johnson and Jim Jeffries. Continue reading →

Posted in 1863, 1907, 1910, 1947, 1957, 1960 | Tagged | 3 Comments

Black Dahlia: Ask Me Anything, July 2025

Posted on July 1, 2025 by lmharnisch

This month’s Ask Me Anything on the Black Dahlia case, including a progress report on Heaven Is HERE! and a summary of the forthcoming book that “solves” the Black Dahlia case, Eli Frankel’s “Sisters in Death.” Continue reading →

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Reminder – My Next ‘Ask Me Anything’ on the Black Dahlia Case Is July 1

Posted on June 24, 2025 by lmharnisch

Reminder: I will be doing a live Ask Me Anything on the #BlackDahlia case on YouTube and Instagram next Tuesday, July 1, at 10 a.m. Pacific time. Have questions? Leave them in the comments or DM me. Continue reading →

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Black Dahlia: Ask Me Anything, June 2025

Posted on June 3, 2025 by lmharnisch

This month’s Ask Me Anything on the Black Dahlia case, including a progress report on Heaven Is HERE! and a summary of the forthcoming book that “solves” the Black Dahlia case, Eli Frankel’s “Sisters in Death.” Continue reading →

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November 1947: Women Charged Under 1872 Law for Same-Sex Marriage

Posted on June 2, 2025 by lmharnisch

Thelma and Marieta met in college as roommates and fell in love, living as Mr. and Mrs. David Warren — then FBI agents came calling about possible draft evasion. Continue reading →

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Reminder – My Next ‘Ask Me Anything’ on the Black Dahlia Case Is June 3

Posted on May 27, 2025 by lmharnisch

Reminder: I will be doing a live Ask Me Anything on the #BlackDahlia case on YouTube and Instagram next Tuesday, June 3, at 10 a.m. Pacific time. Have questions? Leave them in the comments or DM me. Continue reading →

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Black Dahlia: Eli Frankel’s ‘Sisters in Death,’ a Fraudulent ‘Solution’ to the Black Dahlia Case and the Murder of Leila Welsh

Posted on May 19, 2025 by lmharnisch

Just how bad can a ‘true” crime book be? Here’s another entry: Eli Frankel’s ‘Sisters in Death’ linking the murders of Elizabeth Short and Leila Welsh. The work of a zealous amateur with staggering mistakes on almost every page. Continue reading →

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Black Dahlia: Ask Me Anything, May 2025

Posted on May 6, 2025 by lmharnisch

This month’s Ask Me Anything on the Black Dahlia case, including a progress report on Heaven Is HERE! and a summary of the forthcoming book that “solves” the Black Dahlia case, Eli Frankel’s “Sisters in Death.” Continue reading →

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Reminder – My Next ‘Ask Me Anything’ on the Black Dahlia Case Is May 6

Posted on April 29, 2025 by lmharnisch

Reminder: I will be doing a live Ask Me Anything on the #BlackDahlia case on YouTube and Instagram next Tuesday, May 6, at 10 a.m. Pacific time. Have questions? Leave them in the comments or DM me. Continue reading →

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